Indy and the aliens aim to please

George Lucas could benefit from a dash of subtlety in the same way Steven Spielberg could afford to take less-calculable risks.

Both of the legendary directors’ worst instincts are on full display in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” the fourth installment in the pair’s adventure serial.

That’s not to say it’s a bad movie. In fact, it’s pretty fun if taken lightly and not compared in the slightest to “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” But after a while, Spielberg’s tendency toward the maudlin and Lucas’ insistence on piling on as many Tarzan-swinging monkeys and killer ants as possible is tiring.

The story involves Henry Jones Jr. (Harrison Ford), his son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) and his former flame Marion’s (Karen Allen) search for the lost city of Akator to return one of the legendary crystal skulls.

Throughout the film, they battle Russians, wacky natives and a giant waterfall, only to encounter omniscient aliens and witness a spaceship taking off in one of the year’s best special effects sequences.

It’s mostly over-the-top stuff, but Ford is in fine form as Indy, and the always great John Hurt shines as the in-tune professor Oxley.

For Indy fanatics there’s a two-disc edition, replete with a loving tribute to the hero and a 12-part comprehensive documentary. Also, a walkthrough of the creation of some of the film’s outlandish action sequences is worth a look.

As usual, neither Spielberg nor Lucas provide even a cursory commentary track, but their interplay during the making-of shows two giddy movie lovers just happy to be back working with one of their favorite characters. Arguments can be heard about whether or not “Crystal Skull” needed to be made, but the best argument for its creation was getting these two back together.

“Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is an enjoyable attempt at reigniting a fire that burned its brightest almost three decades ago.

Hopefully Indiana Jones will be at peace now, taking pleasure in his twilight years with wife Marion and son Mutt. I, for one, don’t need to see Harrison Ford searching for Atlantis at age 70.